Tuesday, August 27, 2013

DeLuscious Cookies & Milk- Hollywood (Los Angeles), CA

DeLuscious Cookies + Milk is a "luxury bakery in Hollywood" that aims to provide "pure indulgence" to their customers through "incredible desserts, impeccable service, and personalized care."

With that said, when Katie of DeLuscious Cookies & Milk asked whether I would like to sample their new line of VeLuscious cookies (vegan cookies!), I was definitely curious! Just a few days after I said yes, a sampler box of their products arrived in my mail.

Opening the box was like opening a gift-- ribbon on the outside, a personalized letter, pink wrapping paper to present the cookies, individual packaging of the cookies with round, simple labels-- very fancy, and definitely an impression!

In the box were some of the VeLuscious cookies, and then some more! There were 8 different flavors: Original Chocolate Chip, Vegan Chocolate Chip, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet White Chocolate Brownie, Vegan Oatmeal Raisin, Cinnamon Brûlée, Chocolate Decadence, and a limited edition cookie-- Kimchi Siracha Peanut Butter.

With so many flavors to try out, what should be the game plan? Well, with three different chocolate chip cookie flavors, why not a three-way comparison?

The regular chocolate chip cookie was very thin, and had a fragrant, crispy edge with butter and vanilla notes. Though thin, it was packed with plenty of chocolate--three types of Belgian chocolate-- and was chewy in the middle with a smooth texture. It reminded me of a classic, fragrant chocolate chip cookie.

Though the vegan chocolate chip cookie had no butter or eggs, it was still fragrant, crisp on the edges, and chewy on the inside, with plenty of the two types of vegan chocolate. The texture was closer to cake but with a smooth crumble. Surprisingly, there was plenty of nutty flavors in the cookie as well.

I was especially surprised with how good the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie tasted! Besides the high quality chocolate, the cookie also had quite a few caramel notes. Yes, the website does say "nutty notes" due to their proprietary blend of rice and quinoa flour, but I felt more of the caramel than the nutty. The flour blend though, did contribute to a rougher, sugary crumble and texture that was like eating cookie dough (childhood memories anyone?). The cookie was also the thickest of the trio!

In this comparison, I liked each cookie for its own different qualities, though I did prefer the vegan and gluten free ones for their thickness and complex flavors. I'd advise trying one of each to determine your favorite.

Next up, we tried the couture red velvet white chocolate brownie. I liked the crispy outer layer in contast
to the smooth, extremely soft, lightly chocolate-y interior (not too
chocolate-y, unlike this flourless chocolate cake) with some eggy flavor. The white chocolate added some textural contrast and punches of
sweetness. Certainly way above your gummy, supermarket brownie. No fake chocolate flavors to be found
here!

We all liked the vegan oatmeal raisin cookie, a chewy, soft cookie with a crispy edge. The crumbs were uniform, with plenty of cinnamon and dark brown sugar flavors. The California Thompson raisins were on point-- not too dry or wet-- and the oatmeal was very nicely processed for a more refined eating experience.

Like the regular chocolate chip cookie, the cinnamon brulee cookie was also extremely thin-- so thin that the hard, caramelized cinnamon sugar on top acted like the glue for the entire cookie! It was truly a "brulee" experience: the cookie itself was soft and chewy, with crisp edges, while the sugar topping was lightly crunchy and very fragrant.

Saving the "signature dark chocolate cookie" for last was a good choice! The chocolate decadence cookie definitely left a lasting impression on us with its uniqueness. It was thick, multilayered, and extremely chocolatey, with the chocolate filling the gaps between layers. In contrast to the soft, chewy, brownie-like interior was the crispy, sugary outer layer. When warmed up, it pairs well with some vanilla ice cream!

After trying out these DeLuscious products, my perspective on cookies have transformed-- these cookies were so special and indulgent! Even just savoring an eighth of a cookie was very satisfying. Though the products are expensive, they are worth the money-- the cookies go a long way (they are freezable if you can't eat them all at once), and most importantly, are memorable.

NOTE: As noted in the introduction, I received these cookies complimentary from DeLuscious. All opinions and commentary, however, of are my own (with references to the company's commentary, when I felt it represented the taste of the actual cookie).